Snyder Cindy, van Wormer Katherine, Chadha Janice, Jaggers Jeremiah W
Department of Social Work, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1039, USA.
Soc Work. 2009 Apr;54(2):117-24. doi: 10.1093/sw/54.2.117.
Older adult inmates have grown both in proportion and in number due to the confluence of a number offactors. This aging of the prison population has created a host of policy and practice issues that encompass justice considerations, cost containment issues, and biopsychosocial care needs. The older prisoner's physical, social, and psychological needs are complex and necessitate gerontologically based service delivery systems. The intent of this article is to help in the preparation of social work practitioners who can engage in older adult prison advocacy work by familiarizing them with a review of pertinent literature. Topics discussed include the following: the characteristics of older adult inmates, the special needs of older offenders and accompanying service delivery issues, and the use of selective decarceration as one strategy for addressing the problem of prison overcrowding. The authors conclude the article with a summary of key challenges social workers face in assisting this population.
由于多种因素的共同作用，老年囚犯在比例和数量上都有所增加。监狱人口的老龄化引发了一系列政策和实践问题，包括司法考量、成本控制问题以及生物心理社会护理需求。老年囚犯的身体、社会和心理需求复杂，需要基于老年医学的服务提供系统。本文旨在通过让社会工作从业者熟悉相关文献综述，帮助他们为从事老年囚犯维权工作做好准备。讨论的主题包括：老年囚犯的特征、老年罪犯的特殊需求及相关服务提供问题，以及采用选择性非监禁作为解决监狱拥挤问题的一种策略。作者在文章结尾总结了社会工作者在协助这一群体时面临的关键挑战。
